Friday, 30 August 2013

Noir with a heavy dose of the surreal and the metaphorical PULP is Bukowski's finally gift to the world before his passing. Nick Belane is old school, old Hollywood and hot on the straight of a French writer presumed dead and the Red Sparrow, amongst other things. Most interesting Hank penned this having made BARFLY and written HOLLYWOOD. What do you think that says?

Tuesday, 27 August 2013

There's a richness to old Hank's flirtations with insanity on the edges of skid row. Some of the short stories contained are the manic old man at his absolute best, some are so chaotic and dense that the true value will only be unearthed with multiple readings and others are written for magazines for money. He's a writer unlike any other, polarising sure but intense. He feels every word and doesn't just ponce around in the shallow waters of fashionable genres like so many writers who got/get fat and rich and lazy.

Monday, 19 August 2013

a person from the Oldpark, known as “The Bone”, with aspirations of a career in the arts or above their socio-economic station.

Following up on last year’s release of Lost Angeles, Venice Books will be publishing David Louden’s second novel Bone Idol on Thanksgiving, November 28th 2013. The sophomore follow-up to his roman á clef debut Lost Angeles is the semi-biographical tale of the author’s alter-ego Doug Morgan as he struggles to connect with his father Jack, his mother Ruth and the working class ideology of “a real job”.

From his early adventure filled days in Poleglass through to the alcohol induced haze of his early twenties Doug’s life (much like the city) is one at conflict with itself. Bone Idolis filled with humour, sex, guilt and the shameful dream of a boy wanting to create more than a family of haunted heirs.

Early readings of Bone Idol have drawn comparisons with the likes of Charles Bukowski and Brendan Behan as Louden paints a downbeat existence contrasting the magic of infinite childhood possibilities with the often grim reality of working class Belfast in the 1980’s and 90’s.

There will be a limited amount of paperback and ebook copies available in advance for review. If you are interested in reviewing Bone Idol please click [here] to contact the author. Lost Angeles is still available on Kindle and Paperback. It can be purchased [here] for U.S customers and [here] for U.K.

Sunday, 11 August 2013

Owen Sage is the emblematic college freshman at Easton Falls University. With all the worries about his first year in college, he was not prepared for what would happen next. His way of life was flipped upside down when he mysteriously crossed into another dimension, into the beautiful land of Everville.

Not only does author Roy Huff paint a world truly deserving of the word fantastic but he’s giving it away to blog readers across the tinterweb. To enter the competition click [here] and drop me a line. Entrants can send more than one email and each entry will be counted. The draw will occur using Random.com with the winners details being passed on to Huff in order for the lucky winner to be able to claim their free copy.

Friday, 9 August 2013

When it comes to 'the genre' this book is a little outside my wheelhouse but what drew me to it and sustained my interest and devotion throughout is the unflinching honesty with which the text is written. Love is a subject that many think easy to write but is hard to avoid sounding chocolate box, unrealistic and schmulchy. Melodie Ramone's AFTER FOREVER ENDS has an unbelievable bravery to commit to paper the honest events that spark and re-spark love within the flickering souls of two people and it's because of this that the characters are not only well drawn, believable and (quite often) hilarious but endlessly endearing to the soul.

From their time together in boarding school, through their first house together and *no spoilers* beyond what you'll find in AFTER FOREVER ENDS is captivating characters amidst the genuine ups-and-downs of life told with by an author brave enough to shed her armour and stand before the reader scars and all. Breathtakingly beautiful, poignant, funny and most of all honest.